communications
News and articles about work, policy and struggles in the communications sector, from telecoms to postal and delivery services around the world.
Namibian telecoms workers in unlawful strike
Telecom Namibia employees briefly downed tools on Friday morning (31 August), a move condemned by management as in violation of dispute resolution procedures.
allAfrica.com reports:
According to the company, approximately 80 employees unilaterally decided to go on what it described as an illegal industrial action on Friday morning from 08:00 until 12:00. This, the company said, was in violation of its Recognition Agreement with the Namibia Public Workers Union.
UK: Workers at Royal Mail contractors Romec strike
Following an overwhelming 12 to 1 yes vote for industrial action, engineers and admin workers are Romec are due to strike today over a sub-inflation pay offer.
A 24 hour strike is scheduled 6am Friday 31 August 2007 until 6 am Saturday 1st September 2007 for all Romec Engineers and Admin grades.
The CWU stated that union negotiators held a meeting with management on Tuesday 21st August 2007; but were unable to make any clear progress.
The CWU website had this announcement:
Comments on the recent summer postal strike - by a striker, 2007
A postman looks at recent developments and future implications in the recently suspended strike.
Why was the strike called off?
The obvious answer is that the union called the strikes off because Royal Mail (RM) was willing to negotiate. Dave Ward publicly offered for the union that if RM would enter "meaningful" negotiations they were willing to call off the pending action.
UK: Post Office strikes continue
Workers at Crown Post Offices struck yesterday and on Friday, and are due to strike again tomorrow to stop plans to outsource services to WH Smiths.
While management tried to downplay the effects of the strike, the CWU claimed that members supported the strikes in overwhelming numbers. Post Office Limited (POL) Head Office was placed in disarray due to severe staff shortages as managers were once again forced to travel at great cost across the country to cover members’ jobs.
Royal Mail strikes suspended for talks as work to rule continues
Royal Mail and the CWU leadership announced the suspension of strike action for three weeks for talks. Meanwhile, on the job and unofficial action continues.
Postal workers were just about to resume a second two weeks of rolling strike action, which has already built up 10-14 days backlog at Royal Mail depots around the country.
Postal workers wildcat in Swindon
More than 500 workers walk out over the transfer of prominent strikers to elsewhere in the company.
The strike at the Hawksworth sorting office lasted two hours until the CWU union persuaded the strikers to return to work. They were angry that two collegues who had taken an active part in the ongoing national strikes were being transferred to another area.
More strikes at the Post Office and Royal Mail
Crown post offices are to go on strike this week against plans to transfer services to WH Smith, while Royal Mail workers begin their third week of rolling strikes.
The Post Office Ltd. wants to shut 85 post offices and shift services over to the much lower-paid workers at WH Smith, as part of its overall plan to close around 1,000 post offices. Post Office Ltd.
Dispatch 1 - Royal Mail strikes, August 2007
First issue of a bulletin about the public sector pay struggles of summer 2007 by a group of workers around libcom.org. This issue focusses on postal workers.
Available here in TIF and here in PDF format. The text follows:
Dispatch
Public sector pay dispute — information for action
Issue 1 - August 2007
Royal Mail workers: Fighting to win
Doing the job as it’s meant to be done
Royal Mail wildcats spread to north of England
The wildcat strikes at Royal Mail which began in Glasgow, spread across Scotland, and ended today also reached Newcastle, Liverpool and Chester yesterday. And Hartlepool today.
Liverpool:
Managers drove mail into the building, which resulted in a wildcat at the Liverpool Mail Centre when workers refused to unload the lorry. The wildcat was supported by Polish agency workers who refused to cross the picket line, and instead went to the pub.
Newcastle:
Scotland: Postal staff vote to end wildcat strike
60% of post workers from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen have voted to return to work after both a wildcat strike that started on Tuesday.
However, the CWU's round of 'staggered stoppages' was due to end on 7 of August but has now been extended by at least two weeks. Therefore workers in Scotland will be back out on strike again, and so staff from working sections of Royal Mail coming in contact with picket lines from striking sections will still be an issue.
